Home

It seems as though CA is coming up a lot lately in other people's conversations when I'm around and this just makes me miss home all the more. A co-worker was going to go to Laguna Nigel for Thanksgiving but opted not to, which prompted a whole discussion during a staff meeting on the OC area which in turn lead to another co-worker mentioning that the only time she'd been to CA was to visit Santa Barbara...which, of course, is where I'm from. Small world!

Don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying Indiana: the seasons, the cool temperatures, the new experiences, the lower cost of living (especially important since we are entering into what we're calling "the lean years") and new friends. But CA will always be home. My family is there. Most of our friends are there. So much of who I am is CA, whether it's the people or the memories I've made in my lifetime.



Kobe enjoying the beach in early 2010



I miss the ocean: seeing it, smelling it, hearing the waves crash down upon the sand, walking along its shoreline in search of shells and sea glass, watching our Kobe chase sea gulls with carefree enthusiasm. I miss knowing where everything is and not having to look up an address every time we want to go somewhere. I miss being in the same timezone as nearly everyone in our life: phone calls now require advanced planning much of the time. And during this holiday season, I miss my family. Big time. We can't afford to fly home for Thanksgiving or Christmas this year and neither of our families can come out to Indiana this time around so it'll be just us. On the plus side, it will give us a chance to establish some of our own traditions. We both love going to the movies so we may treat ourselves to a movie on Christmas day, or maybe we can find a place to go sledding if there's snow, or take a walk and enjoy the outdoors with the dog in one of the nearby state parks. Whatever we do, it'll be fun. I just wish our family could be here to experience it with us.



Hendry's Beach, July 2012



I've never skipped a holiday with my family before. The year before last, we couldn't make it home for the actual day of Christmas but we celebrated the following weekend since it was just a 3-hour's drive away. Now, we're a 5-hour plane flight away and the next time we are planning to fly home is in July, as Jason will be a groomsman in a friend's wedding, which means it will have been almost a full year since last setting foot in CA. Crazy. Hopefully, someone from home will visit us between then and now but plane tickets are expensive and lives get busy so we shall see.

In the mean time, this CA girl and guy will experience an Indiana Thanksgiving and Christmas-time. I'm crossing my fingers for a white Christmas this year and look forward to the weather actually reflecting the date on the calendar. I am obsessed with taking pictures and I can't wait to document the changes in the landscape once we get our first "real" snow of the season. (We did have flurries, however, on Monday and I was in heaven! See below pic) At any rate, Christmas is all about love so you can bet we'll be sending plenty of it California-way this holiday season - after all, if you can't find Christmas in your heart, you certainly won't find it under a tree ;)



Flurries!! Right outside my office building, 11/12/12

3 Years Later: Why I'm Really Running That 5k

{Today is the 3rd anniversary of my open heart surgery. It is a very emotional day for me, and as a result, this post is quite personal. I wrote this post over a month ago in preparation for my surgiversary because deciding to run a 5k was such a huge deal for me. Not too long after finishing this post, I had an atrial fibrillation cardiac event which occurred on September 18th and landed me an overnight stay in the hospital. Because we aren't exactly sure why it happened, or what, if anything, contributed to the event, I chose to give up caffeine and, to my great dismay, running. However, I still feel like this is a relevant and powerful post for me and I still very much want to share it. It speaks to my current mind-set, where I want to be emotionally, and what I want my focus to be on: the positives. Last year, I would have seen this cardiac event and the subsequent choice to stop running as a failure: my body once again letting me down. What happened last month did indeed unnerve me a great deal and I am working on processing those feelings and emotions accordingly, but this isn't a failure. Instead, I like to see it as a change of plans. There are plenty of other ways I can show myself that I'm strong and healthy. I hope to one day resume my goal of running a 5k, but for now, thank you for reading but most especially and importantly, for being in my life.}

Three years ago today, October 29th, 2009, I had my chest sliced open, my sternum broken, and my heart operated on. I have always struggled with anxiety but following that day, anxiety became an every day reality for me. It's very common for open heart surgery patients to develop anxiety issues, depression, insomnia (which I also experienced but thankfully, that didn't hang on all that long), etc but for me, anxiety and fear-fueled emotions skyrocketed. Instead of fighting against the negativity, I started allowing my fears to control my life. I found myself starting too many sentences with "What if..." and started retreating in to myself. I was afraid to try new things because I didn't want to fail but in the process, what I really did was fail to LIVE. Successes and failures are a part of life and I ceased to have either, because I wasn't really living. I was treading water.

I swore to myself, bargained with God even, that if I survived the surgery I would really appreciate my life. I would learn to count my blessings, and notice the small things because in the end, the small things are indeed the big things. I promised to be better, live better, stop being afraid all the time. My recovery was hard. It kicked me down a lot and I kept getting back up again but I was tired. I was angry. I didn't want to be an inspiration, I didn't want to have to be strong anymore, I just wanted to be ME again. Wanted to go back to feeling normal, feeling like I did before September 2009 when the heart palpitations started. So I got bitter. And my bitterness only made the fears speak louder to me. They became all I heard. I was the Queen of Worry. Who wants that title? I didn't want it, but I had it, and in time, it defined me.

Over the past three years, there have been other challenges. Things have happened that we didn't have any control over, because guess what? Control is an illusion. To think we have it makes us feel better, it's comforting, but in truth, all we can truly control is how we think and react. And even then, it takes a LOT of practice. Over the past three years, I let the challenges become who I was. Instead of learning from the past, instead of taking those challenges and rising above them, using them to be stronger, better, I let them punch me down. Yes, some of what I felt, what I still feel, is warranted because it has been a hard few years but it became bigger than I wanted it to, than it should have. The fears became too much and it was time to shut them up.

Moving to Indiana presented me with an opportunity. I was given the chance to begin again, be the person I knew I could be, knew I was, really be the person I projected to the world but had suppressed for far too long. Jason was/is incredibly busy with school and until I found work, I had a lot of time on my hands. At first, it was scary. I didn't have any idea what to do with my time. Most things cost money and we just didn't have it. We still don't and probably won't for a long time. But then it came to me. Running. I had talked about doing a 5k around this same time last year but one thing lead to another and it just didn't happen. But now I could, and this time, there wouldn't be any excuses. I'll be honest: when the idea popped into my head, the old "But what if I can't" whispered loud enough for me to hear it. But I wouldn't listen this time. This time, I would do it, prove to myself that I could. I would do something I never thought I could or would do. I would tell those old insecurities to take a hike.

In high school, I tried to start running a few times. It seemed glamorous in a way. Everyone I knew who ran looked so great, seemed to glow, the picture of health. They said running was calming, that the pounding rhythm of their sneakers on the pavement was like therapy. I went to the gym but the gym was pricey and I could run for free. I had sneakers, and I had legs. How hard could it be? I remember one morning I set out for a brisk morning jog. I started out fine, breathing deeply and all that. But soon it became apparent that I was winded, really winded, and kind of faint. I remember sitting on the curb, head between my knees, willing myself not to pass out. I turned right around, defeated, and headed home. I supposed I just wasn't cut out for running. I didn't enjoy it, it wasn't in my blood. Over the years when I'd try to go for a jog, similar episodes would unfold. Each time, I'd arrive at the same conclusions: it just wasn't the exercise for me; I hadn't eaten enough beforehand; it was too hot out; I wasn't properly hydrated. I had no idea it was because of my heart murmur. I went to the cardiologist religiously every two years for my EKG and nothing ever changed. It was fine. I was healthy. Then came October 1, 2009.

~ ~

So now I want to run. I want to run because I can. I want to run because I need to prove to myself that the little voice inside of my head telling me I can't do things is a damn dirty liar. I want to run because there was a time that I thought I'd never get better, never recover from my surgeries. There was a time that I thought I'd never feel like me again, that I'd always feel "less than". When I had my pacemaker implanted because my heart could no longer regulate itself, I felt imprisoned by my presumed limitations. I felt less than who I was because I was dependent upon a tiny implanted device to keep my heart beating properly. I failed to see the reality: the tiny implanted device allowed me to keep being me. It enables me to wake up every day and have a life. It is a medical marvel, and I am so grateful.

I am running a 5k on December 16 in Indianapolis because I am here. I am a survivor. I made a promise three years ago and it's high time I made good on it. I am fortunate. I am blessed. Thank you for being in my life and for loving me. Happy 3rd Surgiversary to me :)

Tribute to my Angel Sister, Amanda Lauren

Dear Amanda,

Today, you would have been 31. Happy birthday to you, dear sister! 31 years ago, you were chosen to walk among the angels instead of live a life here with us on Earth. The more of life that I experience, the more challenges faced, I realize more and more the immensity of your loss and the effect it had on all of us, even those of us who came after. How our lives would have been different. Had you lived, I may not have been. Mom and Dad tried for so long to get you, suffered so much heartache and sorrow, that you would have been their miracle baby. Would they have had the desire, the will, to try for another? Would they have mustered the strength to take the risk, possibly enduring further heartache? It is an odd thing to ponder. Still, you are indeed a miracle. It is an honor to share a middle name with you, but as you know, we share far more than that. I believe you are with us every day, in our hearts and in spirit. You are so very loved. Always.

This summer, Mom showed me the only picture of you that she has, the ultrasound picture of you at approximately 7 months, just 2 short months before you were born sleeping. I’ve grown up knowing your story and honoring your memory, missing you even though we’d never met, but that picture brought me to tears because there you were. Heart beating, little body growing, very much alive, captured forever in time in that one photograph. It upsets me that the doctors or someone in the room when you were born didn’t take a picture of you for us to keep. It would have been hard to see but at least I could have seen you, and at least there would be another picture of you besides that one ultrasound and the ones taken of your tiny little white coffin at your funeral. They have people that do that now for parents of babies born still. I’m glad for that. Did you know that Grandma Kendrick kept a purple flower from your service pressed between the pages of her family Bible? When I was growing up, she often wore purple, and now I sometimes wonder if she wore it to honor your memory.
Even though we’ve never shared moments like other sisters do, I know I’ve been blessed to have my sister by my side. I know you’re there, always. I’m grateful you were there to greet our grandparents when they passed on, and that you get to spend time with them now and have gotten to know them and love them as I did here on Earth.  I know you were with me in the operating room three years ago, standing by my side, holding my hand, when no one else could be. And even though I’ve never seen your face, I feel as though I have. I envision you have long brown hair, probably thick and wavy like Mom’s was. But perhaps you would have cut it shorter as you aged. Would you have glasses? Maybe you’d need them but unlike me, I think you’d wear contacts and I think you’d have Dad’s brown eyes. I think your nose would be smaller and a bit upturned like Mom’s and Grandma’s. For some reason, I think you’d take after Mom’s side more, like I take after Dad’s, so I envision you’d be taller than me. Would you be married or have a partner? Would I be an auntie? What would you do for a living? Would you be language/word oriented like me, or more math minded? Would you have played an instrument, or been more athletic? Would we have quarreled growing up, like siblings often do? 

As I grow older, and especially around the holidays when people gather together with their families, I often think of you and miss you all the more – because you should be here too, you know? Really here, smiling right beside us in the family photos, arm slung around my shoulder or hugging me close, helping cook the Thanksgiving feast, exchanging gifts, laughing at old stories, sipping a beer or a glass of wine, enjoying a slice of my famous pecan pie, ribbing each other for this or that. And I understand more and more the pain of what would have been. That’s what hurts the most, I think, the knowledge that there is so much that you’ve missed, that we’ve all missed, with each passing year that goes by and you’re still gone. I wish you could know the love, the immense love, that we all share for one another, our family. At my lowest points, I’ve talked to you and I know you’ve heard me but what I wouldn’t have given to pick up a phone and call my sister, hear your voice on the other end telling me it was going to be alright, that I just had to take it one day at a time, that you loved me and were there. Maybe that’s an idealistic view of what our relationship would be like, because I really have no idea, but our family is close and always has been, so I cannot imagine we wouldn’t be best friends, that I couldn’t call you for support or advice. And maybe you wouldn’t have all the answers or even say all the right things all of the time, but I know you would’ve cared and would’ve tried your best. 

So today you’re 31. Usually, I’d go to the cemetery to lay flowers on your gravestone, and tidy up your plot. Sometimes I’d go alone or with Mom or Jason but this year, I can’t go at all and that is hard for me. I know it doesn’t matter to you, because you’re in our hearts and always with us, but it means something to me that I won’t be there. Thank you for watching over us all, for being the beautiful soul I know you are. Thank you for being with me in spirit – and for being with Mom and Dad when they've needed to feel your love. I can’t see you but I know you’re there and when times have been especially hard, and when I have known great fear, you have been a comfort to me, assuring me through the wind or the rustle of leaves, the melodic tinkle of a windchime or the crash of the ocean upon the shore, that it will be alright. It will all be alright.

Much love to you today and everyday,
Me

9/11 Remembered

11 years ago today, we watched in horror as thousands of innocent people lost their lives. We were witness to a moment in history that forever changed our world. I think it is safe to say that if asked, each one of us could definitively recall where we were on that day, what we were doing, what we remember thinking. I know I can. Last year on the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks, I wrote about what I remembered from that day, what I was doing, what I recall thinking. This year, I want to reminisce about what happened after September 11, 2001, in the days, weeks, months, even year following the attacks. Why? Because it holds significance and it matters.

We united. 

In extremely uncertain times, the people of this nation came together. We stood together against a common foe and remembered our roots. American flags appeared in droves in shop windows, private residences, on cars, on newspaper front covers, on flyers, toys, everywhere. They waved proudly and when The Star Spangled Banner played during memorial services for the fallen or sporting events in the months following the attacks, Americans wept. The words of an anthem we learned as children suddenly held new meaning. Admist the turmoil on our soil, admist the loss of our American brothers and sisters, amidst volatile times, even before the dust began to clear and we started to rebuild, our flag still waved, it still stood for the land of the free and home of the brave. 

This being an election year, I think it is important to remember that we are all Americans. Whether you vote for the left or the right come November, we are all united by the red, white and blue of the flag that we all cherish, the flag that stands as a reminder of who we are. We are strong. We are survivors. I am proud to be an American, and I will never forget.

Musings on a storm

Some days, you just need to write, you know?

A storm blew in pretty quickly this afternoon. I left our house around 12:45pm and in an hour and a half, great, bulbous, dark storm clouds moved in, followed by a cool wind which dropped the temp from 87 to 76 in about 15 minutes, then in the next hour, the temp took another dive down to 67. And then, it poured, and off in the distance, a streak of lightning followed by the low rumble of thunder. I was at a local organic food shop called Bloomingfoods which has a great lunch spread, so I decided to wait out the cloud burst and eat on the outside patio.

I love the rain. I love listening to it, the wet fresh smell of it and watching it wipe the world clean. I've always enjoyed the sounds of a storm, loved how nature just swoops in and is so wild and free for awhile. It is natures reminder that there is so much going on around us that we can't see, or understand, or control, and that sometimes, the unexpected happens. Sometimes, a storm blows in and interrupts your sunny cloudless day. Sometimes, the unexpected is messy and sometimes it's beautiful; maybe, somehow, it's both. But just the same, it arrives, ready or not, and you have no choice but to wait it out, and make the best of it...seated at a cafe front, listening to the steady pounding of water on pavement, watching other patrons run for cover - hastily grabbed newspapers serving as make-shift umbrellas - and eating african peanut soup and rye bread for lunch.

Keeping my promise

I guess I will aim for a post a week and if I do more, yay, but a post a week is the goal. So, what's been going on?

My mom came to visit for a week and like all good, fun things, it was over far too soon. We did and saw a lot, but I wish we could have fit in a few more things, such as a local honey farm but I guess we'll just have to save that for her next trip!

We went to the antique mall, a few vintage shops & flea markets and visited our local Restore store; ate at Mother Bear's Pizza, Cracker Barrel, and Scholar's Inn Bakehouse; made lots of goodies with the fresh berries we received from my in-law's; did some unpacking and hung lots of photos; watched some of our old favorite shows; enjoyed a thunderstorm; toured campus and parts of downtown; and overall, just enjoyed some quality mother/daughter time. Here are a few pics from the week:

Blueberry muffins made with Oregon berries!

Farm in Bloomington, IN

Mom and the Brain in front of Bloomingfoods - West

Mom at the Antique Mall

Hello!

Some of the best pizza we've ever had from Mother Bear's 

On Friday, IU had it's first "Welcome Week" pre-football season pep rally. The enthusiasm of the incoming freshman class was certainly obvious and it was so much fun to take part in the festivities. Saturday evening marked the end of the Marching Hundred's band camp week - I (along with the Assistant Director's wife) was a guest judge for their sectional competitions. On Sunday, Jason and I spent some time on Kirkwood Avenue buying some Hoosier "swag". While walking out of the library, I was awestruck by the beautiful puffs of clouds and took the below picture:

Well, that was our week! Still unpacking, job searching, and adjusting to life here in the mid-west :) I bought film and new batteries for my camera yesterday, so I plan to get out there and start shooting some landscape later on this week. And last but certainly not least, Jason started classes yesterday so the fun has officially begun!

Oregon Blueberry Bounty

My in-laws spend the summer in Coos Bay, Oregon and every year they go blueberry picking. This year, they were kind enough to share the wealth and sent Jason and I what must have been close to 10 pounds of organic Oregon blueberries!

Obviously, that is a lot of blueberries so I ended up freezing 3/4 of them (can't wait to enjoy them long into the Fall!) and then got down to business making blueberry goodies with the rest. I made blueberry pancakes, blueberry muffins for Jason and his fellow grad students, and blueberry vanilla compote {click here for recipe}. These berries were so amazingly sweet and delicious -- what a treat!

The compote (thinner version of jam) was so easy to make and made our whole house smell divine. For breakfast yesterday, I cut and toasted thin slices of french baguette, spread ricotta on top, then topped it off with the compote. This morning, we added it to our french toast. I'm sure it would be tasty on ice cream or swirled into yogurt!

Blueberry Vanilla Compote 

Blueberry compote and ricotta cheese en croute 

Blueberry compote topped French toast

Settling in and some goals

We've been in Bloomington for a full week today! In some ways, it's felt that long and even longer in some respects (mostly due to the lack of sleep, thank you very much Chloe), while in other ways it's felt shorter. We opted not to get cable so we're working on getting our computer tower rigged up to stream Netflix to our TV. The unpacking is coming along. I completed the kitchen yesterday (just have to hang something I'm DIY'ing over the sink) and the living room is nearly done. The biggest remaining hurdle is our clothes and where to put them, as we are still without a dresser. We used space bags for most of our clothes and unfortunately, the biggest bags exploded due to the heat in the U-Pack units we shipped out from CA so our clothes are in a giant heap in the extra bedroom waiting to be sorted, hung up, or folded and put away...but we need a dresser. One thing at a time I suppose!

I made a fresh peach cobbler last night on a whim. Sometimes I get bit by the baking bug and just have to whip something up on the spot. We went to an organic food store earlier this week and bought some fresh local peaches and I didn't want them to spoil before we had a chance to enjoy them so I made the cobbler. It turned out really well! The recipe I used is here: Easy Peach Cobbler

We also experienced our first real mid-western storm last night! The lightning was spectacular and the thunder certainly rolled and rolled well into the wee hours. Kobe was less than thrilled about the whole thing. The area is in a drought so the rain was well needed and appreciated. Actually, beginning Monday, water restrictions go into affect: no lawn or outdoor plant watering allowed and only certain plants (ie newly planted trees and crops) are to be watered after sundown.

My mom is flying in to town tomorrow for a whole week! I've been keeping a running list of all the places to go that I think she'd enjoy so we'll keep busy. As I said in my last post, my dad and John were with us all of last week helping us make the drive and only got to spend a day here actually seeing the sights which is sad but they did get to see the IU campus and eat at a few local restaurants. The next time they visit we'll have to make a point of only doing fun things! haha Jason's brother, sister-in-law and our niece will be coming for a week-long visit at the beginning of October and then Jason's parents are coming for a visit either at that same time or near the end of November when performances of the Nutcracker are playing at IU. A few friends have made tentative plans to come visit at some point too so we're really looking forward to all of the great visits that lie ahead!

And now, the goal setting....

1) This blog is one of them. I really hope to keep at it and post and update often. So far, so good! Right now, it's easy because everything is new and fresh but once we get settled, I'm going to really push myself to stay on top of my blogging. Not only will it be a way to stay connected with my family and friends, but it will serve as documentation of our time here.

2) Writing. I need to get back into doing it religiously. It used to be a part of my daily life and somewhere along the lines it got pushed to the back burner and it doesn't belong there. I am a creative person and for whatever reason, I've suppressed that creativity for far too long. I had a good spurt of poetry writing last month and need to keep it going. I have journals to fill. I also want to write children's books. That's been a long-time goal and dream of mine. A local publishing house, Author Solutions, just got bought out by Penguin Publishing. Yes, that Penguin Publishing. It's perfect, some might even say an omen. No more excuses.

3) Find a job. Obviously, I need to work. Not only for the very real monetary aspect, but for the social aspect as well. I need to meet people, make friends, and the easiest way to do that is through employment. I'm hoping to find a more fulfilling job than temp work but really, the job market is tough here too. If you're not a truck or flat bed driver, the pickings are slim. Seeing that we've only been here a week, I think I need to give myself a break but still, it weighs on my mind.

4) Volunteer work. I want to get involved in the community. It will be another great way to meet people, stay busy, and learn about the culture here. I've inquired about potential volunteer opportunities through the local Hospice and am also considering the Big Sister program as well as a literacy program through the local library. I've always enjoyed volunteer work and was an active volunteer in college - it's time to get back on that horse again, too.

5) Hobbies. Cooking and baking are a given. I cook or bake from scratch almost daily but there are a few other interests of mine that have been lingering but not realized quite yet. I want to teach myself to photograph landscape semi-professionally, I want to learn to can, and I want to learn to use a sewing machine. I'm on my way with the first of those things: I bought a Canon EOS Rebel 2000 35mm manual camera for a very low price through an Indiana University student classified ad. I'm very excited about where this may lead :)

So there you have it, some goals. Thanks for reading (sorry it turned out to be kinda lengthy)! I'll have another update soon :)

We made it!

First and foremost, a huge thank you to my Dad and John for helping us make the trek, and for spending most of their one "free day" here in Indiana helping us clean, unload, shop, and put together some furniture. We are so lucky :)

After 4.5 days of driving over 2,100 miles through 8 states, we finally arrived at our new home on Thursday afternoon! The dog and cat did great, much better than either of us though they would, which is a huge relief.

The drive itself was long but we thoroughly enjoyed all of the beautiful countryside we drove through. Living in California and in the inland empire for the past 2 years, it's easy to forget how truly stunning parts of the US really are.

Barn in Missouri

Amber waves of grain -- somewhere near the Kansas/Missouri border

Colorado Mountains

Utah

Colorado mountainside, not too far from Utah border

Cotton ball clouds in Colorado

Country back road to Ellettsville, IN

Farm and fields of grain in Missouri

Soy bean farm in Troy, IL

We are subleasing which, among other things, means we had to accept our place "as is." There are a few things that the management won't fix for us because the damage was caused by the previous tenant and not wear and tear or malfunction. The biggest bummer in that category is a severely cracked window in the dining area. Also, most unfortunately, the previous tenants chose not to clean at all which meant we spent the majority of yesterday cleaning the place from top to bottom. Kudos to my Dad for volunteering to clean the bathrooms...cleaning up someone else's filth is pretty gross. Needless to say, I have a new-found respect for cleaning services. But! It's about 1300 sqft (so 300ft shy of double the size of our apartment) and it has a garage! Our living room is so large we don't know what to do with all of the space....although I have grand plans for our Christmas tree this year. ;)

Our new home in Indiana!

The weather is super sticky. Today, it's 94 degrees with 60% humidity and there were thunderstorms earlier in the day, more on the way tonight and tomorrow. The town of Bloomington is so cute! We haven't had too much time to explore as much as we would like yet but we'll get there. Lots of great restaurants (we ate at an amazing Indian food place on Thursday night called Taste of India...mmmm) and we're trying out a new one tonight for an early 6th wedding anniversary celebration. :)

The time difference takes some adjustment for us as well as the pets (Chloe seems ready to rock and roll for some reason at 5am each morning. Yay.). Lots and lots to unpack and the place needs some decoration but it's coming together, bit by bit, box by unpacked box. Stay tuned!

Indiana, Here We Come!

Jason and I are moving to Bloomington, IN in 4 short days as he will be pursuing his doctorate in Conducting at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University! It is a mega move and we are excited, anxious and everything in between.

Several people over the course of the last month have suggested that I blog about our travels, adventures, and new life as mid-westerners. Both born and raised in CA, these California kids have much to learn about pretty much everything in that part of the country. Neither one of us has ever lived out of state, let alone 2100 miles away from our hometown so everything we see and do will be fresh, shiny and new.

I'm excited to give this blog a new purpose and share our new life with our family and friends. I'll still post recipes now and again, but pics of where we've been, what new cool place we've discovered, stories and life updates as we navigate this new chapter, and everything in between will also find a home here. I hope you'll join us and follow along on our little journey -- it'll be so nice to have you along for the ride :)

Chicken Salad

Ok, I'm horrible. I can't believe I haven't posted anything since before Thanksgiving!! Sorry about that...

So! I thought I'd share this yummy chicken salad recipe I came across on my new favorite site, Pinterest. If you haven't tried it, do. It's awesome. Anywho, I was really growing weary of my usual turkey and cheese or PB&J sandwiches for lunch, so I saw this and thought I'd give it a try. Loved it. It made a ton, and lasted all week, even with both Jason and I eating it. For added crunch, top it with some crisp romaine or red leaf lettuce. Recipe adapted from Chaos In the Kitchen.

• One large can chunk chicken (you can use fresh chicken, too, just boil and break apart into chunks)
• 1 cup toasted walnuts or pecans, chopped {you can either toast the nuts in a pan on the stove or in a toaster oven}
• 1 cup dried cranberries {the orange flavored ones from TJ's add a nice touch of citrus}
• 1 small shallot, diced
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 1 cup seedless red grapes, halved
• 2/3 cup mayonnaise {depends on how mayo-y you like your chicken/tuna salads...I just added until moistened}
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• salt and pepper, to taste

1. Combine the ingredients in a large bowl. Adjust ingredients as needed or desired.
2. Chill before serving.